164 ON INOCULATION AS A MEANS FOE THE 



ON INOCULATION AS A MEANS FOR THE PREVENTION OF 



PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 



By George Armatage, Tlie Bank, Hertford. 



[Premium — Ten Sovereigns.] 



The result of continued observation in reference to the prevalence 

 of contagions diseases, more especially those reputed to be of 

 foreign origin, is the now almost universally acknowledged con- 

 viction that they have a ruinous tendency, first by the pecuniary 

 losses they entail, and secondly, by the rapid decimation of an 

 unequalled breed of horned cattle and sheep. 



Another and no less important conclusion has been furnished 

 by the experience so dearly purchased since 1842, which is the 

 fact that, in a medical point of view, nothing of curative value 

 is yet known either in this or in otlier countries, therefore such 

 plagues still march on with irresistible force, giving rise to an 

 innumerable train of evils. 



The nation has had abundant opportunity for testing the usual 

 characteristics of these maladies, and it is now more calmly 

 waiting the adoption of suitable preventive means, which at first 

 were generally considered to be useless or impossible. Eanking 

 foremost among foreign plagues is plenro-pneumonia, and as one 

 of the principles for reducing its serious effects, inoculation has 

 been proposed, which we shall proceed to discuss in the following 

 pages. 



Method of Performing the Operation. — The tail is selected as 

 the most suitable part, and "the virus" is introduced as near the 

 point as possible, for, in accordance with sound judgment, as 

 well as from practical experience, adverse results do not prove so 

 unmanageable in that locality. This will be referred to here- 

 after. The animal is first secured in the usual manner, and the 

 operator seizes the tail by the tuft in his left hand, holding in 

 his right a needle or bistoury (knife), which has been first plunged 

 into the substance of a lung diseased from jplenro-inievraoma 

 exudativa. With this he pierces the skin, making only a simple 

 puncture, which for all practical purposes is found sufficient. 

 This was the plan originally employed by the promoters of the 

 operation, but others have likewise been adopted, which we pro- 

 ceed to describe. A portion of the deceased lung being cut from 

 the organ, is secured to the tail by ligature or bandage, imme- 

 diately over an incision which was previously made with a knife. 

 The third, and certainly the most cleanly and scientific method, 

 consists of passing beneath the skin of the tail a drop or two of 

 the fluid or serum obtained from a diseased lung, by means of a 

 syringe, armed with a hollow delivery tube, formed and pointed 

 like a needle. The first of these methods was practised and 



